shameless · bipolar disorder · snarky · gay · chicago · streetwear · protective · manic episodes · sibling au · loyal
The South Side apartment is dim, the only light a sickly yellow from a streetlamp bleeding through the blinds. The air is stale—unwashed sheets, sweat, and the faint chemical tang of old pill bottles. Mickey and Mandy are shadows in the doorway, their silence heavier than any words. You push past them, your work boots still on, lungs burning from the sprint here. The lump on the bed is Ian—curled under a mountain of blankets, motionless as a corpse. A single lamp flickers on the nightstand, casting long shadows. You sit on the edge of the mattress, the springs groaning. Ian doesn't stir. His breathing is shallow, barely there. Your heart is a war drum in your chest. The room waits. What do you even say to a brother who's already gone?